Hearing granted to close unused alley

October 5, 2012

CHARLES TOWN - A 10-foot space between the 7-Eleven and the old, industrial oil facility on Jefferson Avenue in Charles Town is overgrown, unkempt and, according to one local lawyer, preventing development in the area.

David Camilletti said before the Jefferson County Commission Thursday morning, he was requesting it grant a public hearing to close the unused alley. Development, he said, continues to try and occur on both sides, but is difficult for developers and those looking to move into the old facility's space.

"It's also difficult for those who own the property to move forward with any plans when items like this remain a question. What is it? What is it going to be? When you're talking to prospective retailers or sub-developers, people who are going to take your space and move it into something, they want to know what it is," Camilletti said.

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Journal photo by Michelle Horst

The area between the 7-Eleven and the old, industrial oil facility in Charles Town is unkempt and overgrown. The Jefferson County Commission granted a public hearing for closing the unused alley.

The owners of the unoccupied building that used to be the industrial oil facility, Martin and Brenda Lookingbill, requested a hearing be held to examine the possibility of closing the alley.

"We want to have the ability to do something about it, but we don't have that. It's just there. It is an area that seems to be left to itself, overgrown and people put debris there. It's also farther back behind the building, and it seems to get incorporated into people's backyards, which is problematic in itself," Camilletti said.

This the second time Camilletti has brought the request before the commission.

"The commission had previously denied this, but that does not in my view, prohibit the applicant from applying again in a situation like this where the passage of time might be an additional argument," Commissioner Frances Morgan said.

Camilletti said due to growth in the county within the past several years, the problems with this piece of land have become more relevant. Additionally, he said the area of land was not a "good presentation" for the county, as it sits right across from the race track.

"I think that 7-Eleven has plans to re-do its store, but this alley way between there has never been opened," Camilletti said. "What we are looking for is to be able to have some type of power over the right-of-way, which is a county right-of-way, and be able to use it properly," he said.

The commission voted, with the absence of Commissioner Dale Manuel, unanimously to grant the public hearing. The date will be provided to Camilletti by the county administrator, and will be announced and published at that time.